Saul and Chelsia: Over the Moon and Back: North by (Pacific) Northwest

We had just enough time to go to Alex’s High School Graduation and pick up a few things from storage before we were packing again. June 15th, two days after we stepped foot on continental US soil for the first time in about 11 months, we departed for Canada.

We spent countless hours on our slow Internet in AmSam planning an itinerary for the upcoming trip to the Pacific North West. We had to plan there considering our short stay (what amounted to a long layover) in Los Angeles. Our itinerary was as follows: two days in Whistler, two days in Vancouver, and then we crossed the border by train to spend three days in Seattle.

My first foray into Canada was a success. I wasn’t expecting Canada to be as beautiful as it was. It definitely does not get enough credit as a vacation/living destination. I don’t know if it is anti-Canadian sentiment from the US, or if they just keep themselves and their beautiful country (and social benefits) low-key in order to keep people out, but the country north of the border is quite a wonderful place.

Personally, I’m thinking it might be the Canadians trying to keep their country under wraps because they have some of the most intense and intimidating customs officers I have ever encountered. There was an extensive interrogation at the customs booth about why we were visiting Canada, exactly where and at what hotels we were staying at, and how we were financing the trip considering the we are currently unemployed and volunteered for the past year (we didn’t volunteer that information, they asked about it).

We started our trip by hopping in a car and driving up to Whistler from Vancouver. The four things that really stand out in my mind from our time in Whistler are good our beautiful hotel, great food, breathtaking scenery, and adventure.

Our hotel room in Whistler.

I can’t say enough about the food in Whistler. Just about every meal we had in Whistler was simply spectacular. Since it was off-season, all of the restaurants offered an option to choose an item from each course (usually between three and four courses total) for a set price. The items were the same as the ones offered a la carte during the peak season. Talk about a bang for your buck. We were in foodie heaven and we took full advantage of it.

Bloody Caesar aka a Blood Mary with clam juice

Peaked Pies, delicious!

We were in Whistler for two days and did two adrenaline junky activities. We went white water rafting down the green river and ATV riding through the mountains. Chelsia and I sat in front of the boat for the white water rafting, so we had to set the pace and use our teamwork skills to make sure everyone was rowing in unison. Sitting in front also insured that we got soaked with the freezing cold river water. We had two lively guides in our boat that made the experience that much better. Thankfully no one in our party fell off the boat (there were some close calls though). The ATV trek was a blast. There was beautiful scenery, no speed limitations, and we even got to go through some off the beaten path mountain terrain.

We spent the next couple of days in downtown Vancouver. I was not expecting it to be as big/clean/beautiful as it was. We had some more fantastic food, some good drinks, and took advantage of the extensive bike lanes the city had to offer. On our full day, we rented bikes and rode around the city, parks, and Sea Wall (which is a Vancouver must see). We also took a drive out to Granville Island to do some shopping and eat yummy treats at their market.

Vancouver Sea Wall

Chels :)

The last leg of our trip was a three-day stop in Seattle. Let me sum up the best that Seattle has to offer in three words: food, Food, FOOD! We really thought Whistler was foodie heaven until we got to Seattle. Not even close. Pike Place Market has so much to offer and that’s just the start of it. There were restaurants everywhere. Good restaurants. When we first got in we stopped at a little pizza place to grab a quick bite to eat. It was hands down some of the best pizza I have ever had. And dollar beers… it doesn’t get any better than that!

We took a Segway tour to get acquainted with the city, ate dinner at the Space Needle restaurant on our first night to get a clear view of the entire city (both during the day and at night since we sat down about a half an hour before sunset) and knock off one of the biggest monuments Seattle has to offer. In the subsequent days we drove out to the Seattle wine country for some wine tasting, took a food tour of Pike Place Market, and a brewery tour (noticing a theme here!?). The food, wine, and beer knocked our socks off. Then we went to the Chihuly Garden and Glass Museum to admire the glass blown artwork—a must see if you are in Seattle. Needless to say if was a fun, busy, and filling last few days in Seattle. The next day we hopped on a flight back to California for some much needed rest and relaxation.